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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · field · hide · coach · scale · present · cabinet · fan

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. scale — in music
  4. field — farmland
  5. scale — size or range
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. present — the time now
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — a gift
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — there
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com